Vittoria Bianco embodies the courage and determination of those who face disability by turning it into an opportunity. Since childhood, she has cultivated a passion for swimming, an activity that has accompanied her through all the stages of her life, even in the most difficult moments. In 2018, after battling a tumour that would not heal, she made the difficult decision to amputate her right leg. For many it would have been the end, but for Vittoria it was a new beginning. She chose to return to the swimming pool, where the water allows her to feel free and overcome all barriers. ‘The water doesn’t care how you look,’ she says, and there she finds her strength.
In 2021, she made her debut at the European Championships in Madeira, winning a gold and a bronze, and setting an Italian record. The Tokyo 2020 Paralympics were the fulfilment of a dream, a goal she had set immediately after her operation, promising her father that she would go. And she did, winning gold in the 4×100 freestyle relay, proving that disability is not a limitation, but an opportunity to go further.
In 2024, despite health problems shortly before the Paris Games, she won bronze in the 400m freestyle, her first individual Paralympic medal. ‘I didn’t understand anything, you guys are telling me I won the bronze. But did I really do 4’47‘’? I had no big expectations and no goal, just trying to live it as it would come. It’s not a good time, I did better, but it was good. I bombarded myself with antibiotics and antihistamines, which brought me down. But I told myself: I am here, I am in Paris, at my second Paralympics and it must go well.
I did not expect this medal at all, having very, very strong colleagues. Mattarella’s presence in the stands really charged me up. I want to thank everyone who has been behind me, those who have helped me to continue at a very high level in my preparation’. These were Bianco’s first statements to the RAI microphones.
Vittoria, with humility, reminds us that inner strength and determination can overcome any adversity. Her story teaches us that disability can become a powerful means of inspiration, turning limitations into success. Vittoria’s message is clear: in the water, as in life, we are all the same, and it is crucial never to give up, to believe in yourself and find the strength to get back up every time you fall. It is an invitation to all of us to look beyond the difficulties, to turn every obstacle into an opportunity to grow and realise our dreams.
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